RUGBY star Kyle Cooper went for a swim with a man-eating shark after he heroically saved it from drowning.
The 30-year-old, who plays for Jonny Wilkinson’s former club Newcastle, dragged the beast down the beach and safely returned it into the Indian Ocean.
The strapping South African born forward was fishing with brother Keagan, 27, off a beach in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, during the close rugby season when his rod bent over double.
When he reeled it in after an almighty battle he found to his shock an eight foot long shark had taken his bait – and it was one of the most dangerous species in the seas.
The brothers were determined to unhook the Zambezi Shark and return it safely to the Indian Ocean but huge waves had washed it high up onto the sandy beach and stranded it.
So rugby player Kyle and diet coach brother Keagan decided there was only one thing for it – they would have to drag it back down the beach and then swim it back out to sea!
This incredible video – believed to be shot by their dad Shane – shows Kyle lassoing a strap around the shark’s tail fin and the brothers then drag the man-eater down the beach.
Both battle as huge waves crash over them and threaten to beach the shark again but after 30 seconds they get it into deeper water and turn the shark round to face the ocean.
Waves crash over their heads completely submerging them as they hang onto the shark often completely out of their depth.
Between waves they hold the carnivore – commonly known as a bull shark – and allow seawater to rush through its open mouth and gills until they felt it revive its strength and power.
When the shark was finally ready it kicked its tail and headed swiftly off back out through the surf and out into calmer waters where it would have resumed its search for dinner.
A friend of Kyle’s said: “It was such a crazy thing to watch these two walking a shark that could have bitten their arms or legs off in one bite out to sea then swimming with it.
“Kyle had caught it and felt responsible for getting it back into the ocean as quickly as possible and the only way to do that was to get in the water with the shark itself.
“Everyone was holding their breath but the boys pulled it off and then high fived each other when the shark was safely on its way and you could see the fin beyond the wave line.
“Kyle and Keagan cracked open a beer as soon as they were back on the beach and it is fair to say they were both pretty full of adrenalin and had a good laugh about it.
“He said his coaches told him to keep fit during his break but I doubt that was their idea of pre-season training!” she said.
Rugby star Kyle had spent his 5 weeks close season break back in his home town of Durban drone fishing with his brother Keagan at local beaches and chilling out with his parents.
Brother Keagan is a drone racing instructor and they used a large remote controlled drone to fly their mullet bait 450 feet out to sea to drop it where the big fish were feeding.
Kyle’s father Shane posted the video on his Facebook page where it has gone viral with over 75,000 hits and said: “When an animals life needs to be saved you do what you have to do.
“God will keep you safe. Proud of the boys. No place for pussies. One happy Zambezi shark”.
Ironically hooker Kyle played Super Rugby before being poached by Newcastle Falcons from the aptly named Sharks based in Durban and he joined the top English club in 2016.
England stars Jonny Wilkinson, Matthew Tait and Toby Flood are among the many famous players to have pulled on the shirt for the side just relegated from the Premiership.
Kyle said on his Facebook page: “So the last 5 weeks my brother and myself have taken time to crash course in drone fishing and these are some of the sharks we have landed.
“All sharks and fish landed were safely released. Now it is time to go back and hit the rugby club and have the most amazing season there. It has been a wonderful break” he said.
The National Geographic said of the Zambezi/Bull sharks: “They are aggressive and many experts consider them to be the most dangerous species of shark in the world.
“Historically Bull sharks are joined by their more famous cousins the Great White and the Tiger Shark as being the three species most likely to attack humans.
“They are found cruising the shallow warm waters of all the world and are fast agile predators that will eat almost anything they see and can even swim up rivers.”
